Alliance to Save Energy hosted a full day on Great Energy Efficiency Day 2008 at Dirksen Building on Capitol Hill. The subtitle "Gearing up for A Carbon Constrained World." Line up of speakers include several members of Congress and members from business community. Six members of Congress who will speak at the conference include Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-ND), Rep. Rick Boucher (D-VA), Rep. Zach Wamp (R-TN), Rep. Jane Harman (D-CA), Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA), and Sen. Ken Salazar (D-CO).
Meeting will start at 8:30 am.
8:39 AM. Kateri Callahan, the President of Alliance to Save Energy gave her opening remarks. This is the fifth annual event hosted by AES. She talks about energy legislations passed through Congress in December. InFor example in Texas energy efficiency will be reduced by 5%, CO2 emission will be reduced by 9% equivalent of So. Korea - the 3rd largest emitters in the world.
Look back to December 2007 and people who helped working behind the scene on Energy Efficiency act. The Unsung Hero Award to Rogers from Dept. Energy, who happens to be in Germany. They're going to recognize people from the Senate and House. Senator Dorgan is one of the speakers. Member of Energy committee. He's the person who helped moving the energy legislation in the Senate.
Sen. Dorgan speaks. He talks about oil and what we do about energy, what it means to our economy. He stopped at a stop light next to a Humvee which has a sticker in the back "Boo to Big Oil". Everyone laugh. Said that we (Congress) will address this issue. Conservation and efficiency is important. CAFE standards, and other issues that affect the way we live. Talks about the importance of changing our habit, less reliance on oil and dependent more on renewable energy. 1992 PTC, 1992 extended and expired 3 times.. we need to change that. Conserve. Be more efficient. And be smart. It's important. It affects every part of our day.
When he was the chairman for ASE, they created Unsung Hero awards. He presented the award to Franz Wuerfmanndobler who works with the Senator Dorgan. Franz is up the stage. Talks about efficiency first.
9:00 AM. Rep. Rick Boucher from Virginia is next. (He has been in Congress for 26 year.) Talk about what the House intends to do. The House energy haven't put a draft to control greenhouse gas emission. Our goal is to develop a consensus. Talking with the community, the stakeholder. Wanted the legislation to have big support from all directions. Talks about the importance bipartisan support. Admits that no draft on climate change legislation as of now. Nearing the point of at least working on legislative draft. Mention Pres. Bush's statement this afternoon for greenhouse gas emission. He's asking for his Republican colleagues to help draft the legislation. Believe that statement from the administration (coming this pm) will carry some weight to help draft the measures. Talks about construction in green building, energy efficiency, energy that is wasted now (co-generation heat and power).
Presented the Unsung Hero award to John Jimison. A little bit background. He is the primary architect on energy efficiency legislation passed in Congress last December. He left practicing law to work in congress as an energy counsel to the House. John Jimison talks. Thank the Alliance, everyone who help draft policy and key political allies. He said that it takes years to pass a legislation. (don't we all know that!)
9:14 AM. Rep. Zach Wamp from Tennessee is up. Think he sits on house appropriation committee. He said that Republican got him the person who believes about energy efficiency. Said that a lot of his colleagues want to rail about Enron.. he should have done this and that.. mentioned Roscoe Barber of Maryland (?).. talks about his constituency. His believe is that oil will disappear. Zach talks with his Republican colleagues about conservation (which is unusual for that side of the aisle). He was in China in January. Said it's awful, Beijing, Shanghai - as far as environmental is concern. Furthermore, he says that we can't let China off-the-hook.
He doesn't care how the election goes later this year. All of the candidates have great energy efficiency programs. Talks about pay-go. Pay as you go on the democratic side. The crisis that we face in America is problematic. He believes that energy independence is also homeland security.
Greening the Capitol he says it's like window dressing. We ought to replace the powerhouse on the other side of the Capitol for renewable sources. Then you can lead by example. He's so fired up talking about energy efficiency. Keep coming back to presidential landscape next year.. whoever is elected going to push this issue. A brief overview over several bills moving through congress. The President might not have budget for energy efficiency. Wrap it up lobbying everyone by saying that "politics is full body contact sport."
9:31 AM. First energy efficiency panel. Energy Efficiency: Implications for U.S. National Security. Today's panelists are Douglas Hengel, deputy asst. of Energy, Sanctions and Commodities (State Dept. ), Karen Harbert, EVP and Managing dir. Institute for 21st Century Energy, (US Chamber of Commerce) and Frank Verrastro, Dir. and Senior Fellow Energy and National Security program (Center for Strategic and International Studies).
Douglas Hengel speaks. Mentioned China and India. Reminds everyone about the riots in other parts of the world that caused oil prices to go up. Energy efficiency is the inexpensive alternative to saving energy. GSA new building to promote green building in federal government offices. Talks about what this administration has accomplished over the years. Energy demand is being driven from abroad. Use bilateral and multilateral to work with other countries on climate change. Gives a brief overview of projects with China and India and some other countries. Energy policies and actions influenced the world.
Karen Harbert next. She has a presentation on the role of energy efficiency in energy security. Mentioned Washington Post that has a dedicated section on energy efficiencies and Pope on the other section. Interesting combination. From her power point presentation. Demand is to increase 50% by 2030, electricity demand to increase 100%, 1.6 B people without electricity, $20 T of new investment by 2030 to meet demand and environmental sustainability - compelling need demanded by our people, policy makers and business - something that we have to confront. The low hanging fruit is already used and produced. There are places either hostile or closed to foreign investments at the same time we have the rising of new oil companies - the state owned oil companies. The Banana syndrome - build absolutely nothing on absolutely nothing. Got the feeling from the first two panels that our nearest competition to energy is China and India. She talks about how we face global challenges from China and India. We're paying a price for previous OPEC decision. Shows a chart on rising electricity consumption. We have a lot of opportunity. Opportunity is going to be met by energy efficiency.
US Energy policy. Increase and diversify supply, increase suppliers, accelerate energy efficiency, increase use of alternative and renewable energy sources. Use that energy that is already been produced is more efficient. We need to step up the plate. Talks about measures to get there, i.e. increase technology, financing, tax credits, mandates, personal choices, reduce tariffs. Efficiency is going to play a huge role to help us get there.
Frank Verrastro is next. Begins with the features of current market. Challenges on energy security, poverty and climate change. 50% of increase, 85% fossil fuel on global energy (future) consumption by 2030. Western hemisphere is resource rich. We're finding greater distance to consuming regions area, higher prices enormous transfers of wealth (talk about power of sovereign wealth funds), geopolitics, further carbon constraints present a further complication in the picture and speaks about how energy efficiency may be the least cost option for us in moving things forward. Shows a global map with geopolitical challenge. Alternative energy will be (desperately) needed for replacement. Climate change is the game change. 1400 policies 2030 reduce demand by 40%. Efficiency plays a role and time table is extremely important. When people talk about gigaton of CO2, a lot of money, policies, and political will to do the heavy lifting. NPC (Natl. Petroleum Council) push energy efficiency for recommendations. Efficiency in transportation, building, and industrial sector.
Q&A session. Q: No public disclosure on buildings energy and how energy efficient or inefficient. What focus or pushes out there for efficiency? A: (Karen speaks). Decree from the Adm. echo the efficiency for some of the government buildings. Government is the largest property management institution in the US. Building codes could have a big impact, however no national building codes as of yet to encourage builders. China (again) doing mega building there. Kateri chimed in on update coming to the Congress in September for building codes.
Next panel: Energy Efficiency - How Much Can it Buy in a Carbon Constrained World. List of panelists: Jon Wellinghoff, Commissioner FERC, Richard Bradley, Head of Energy Efficiency and Environment Div., IEA, Scott Nyquist, Director McKinsey & Co. Houston, Arshad Mansoor, VP Power Delivery & Utilization, Electric Power Research Institute, Ralph LaRossa, President & CEO, Public Service Enterprise.
Richard Bradley from IEA speak first. Talks about the global energy related CO2 emissions modeling policies in place. The alternative policies are countries with efficiency policies. Look at also at largest emerging economies. Energy efficiency will cut 2/3 of emissions. Looking at specific case of China and India the "if" scenario the difference will be in conservation by using more efficient appliances. For example, using efficiency alone China will save 1 of 3 gorges dam by 2030. Shows the chart of Blue Scenario to 2050. Look at efficiency at the end-use (recommendations to G8) - best practices - appliances, standards, buildings and industries. Made 12 recommendations on performance standards on lighting. Made 60 new recommendations for upcoming Hokkaido - won't elaborate more - afraid of lobbying power.
Emphasis that energy efficiency is in the detail. Shows a graph of what can be saved cost-effectively. Lighting is 19% of the world's electrical consumption. (Will be putting best practices on buildings next week). Denmark has been aggressively promoting building codes since 1950? Wow.
Sums it up that energy efficiency is prices, income and technology combined. And how efficiency should be directed to refurbishment.
Scott Nyquist speaking now. Talks about energy consumption in residential. McKinsey has invested in global mapping of greenhouse gas abatement opportunities. (We just have to wait for the chart later when it gets published online by AES). Energy efficiency economics with example in residential general use of lighting. Consumer behavior high hurdles, there are some large percentage of people who wouldn't even think about it. Speaking about the adoption of more efficient technologies in the commercial sector. That's the behavioral barrier that he sees. If you are apt. builder you don't benefit because of tenants, we have to address this head on. Observations: significant barriers, importance of policy makers to get engage, now is time for US to push and lead, think about what we can do, think about how we advice corporations, be very clear in direction - here is what we can do - tell stories of why, why is it good because there are a lot of people who want to do it but don't understand, supporting system for utilities and companies to be more efficient. Not sure what he meant by that.
Arshad Manshoor, from EPRI in Knoxville, TN. Talks on end-to-end enegy efficiency, the full portfolio: generation, transmission and distribution - GreenCircuits and end-user. kWh saivngs by 10% efficiency gain in apower plant - kWh generated by 11GW of Wind at 25% capacity factor. 625 power plant facilities in the US. Opportunities for end use efficiency. Change lightbulb to CFLs. Advise the reality of energy efficiency, consumer behavior, for example your 46" plasma and set top box - it's 860 kWh/household or 2.7% of US electricity consumption, digital picture frame -avoid building 5 250MW generation plant. That's why we do have a challenge. Consumers are not economists. That's why he said that "what we need to do is come up with codes and standards." Codes and standards for increasing efficiency of electronic loads. Opportunities for efficient use of energy. There is this gadget that delivers intelligent power. This gadget is: Plug-in-Hybrid-Electric-Vehicle (PHEV). Need to push this PHEV for large scale adoption. It's about collaboration between auto industry and electric sector. Need to adopt efficiency across the electricity sector and beyond the electric sector.
Ralph LaRossa is next. Global warming is a reality. Gives the story of NJ. 2 M people live in the state. Saw the growth of electricity demand. Talks about NJ Energy Master plan to reduce energy use by 20%. Goals conservation, use of renewable energy sources, clean and central power (nuclear). PSE&G gets approval from the BPU to get into solar program. They're providing loans. PSE&G will invest $105 M duing 2-year period to help financed solar systems on homes, businesses, munis, not-for-profit orgs in their territory. Residential customers are eligible to apply for the loans. Efficiency initiatives for carbon abatement. Another focus is advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) and hybrids. Replace some of aging vehicles to hybrids. Created a renewables and energy solutions group to help achieve all the co's goals.
Rep. Jane Harman to speak next. Said that she works closely with ASE to craft the 'light bulb provision,' a bipartisan effort. There are now many different technologies that can light a room. Show case Pallegia - an efficient light bulb that contains no mercury sold at Home Depot. Everything will be made in USA. For now some of the parts are made in Germany, then somewhere else in the different. Congress should pass the renewable energy bills currently pending. Gives example of state pressure, how CA crafted a legislation before EPA rollout theirs. CA also passed the law for 50% reduction for energy consumption. This reduction help create for a national solution which we don't have yet. Stresses that Congress must pursue for greenhouse gas emission legislation. Tells story about the meeting with one of his constituents working for Toyota plant out in CA who proudly show his retrofitted Prius PHEV and said that he has installed solar panels and as a result pay only $44 month on electric bill.
Sen. Barbara Boxer to speak after lunch. Update: Sen. Boxer won't be able to attend.
1:20 PM. Sen. Ken Salazar is to speak next. Briefly talks about the reality of oil financing, he ties it in with what's happening in Middle East. Debate about global warming sometime the next two weeks about what we ought to do about it. Agenda for the next administration on national security, environmental security. The easiest thing to do is efficiency. That's the low hanging fruit. The four corners for house of energy independence 1) efficiency, 2) renewable energy gives sample in his state Colorado, 3) use of technologies (cellulosic biofuel, PHEV) 4) reduce energy consumption. But, what interesting is, he talk about his giving support to the coal industry. (CO produces coal, too)
Next panel. Building the Future: The Elements of Success. Panelists: Diane Munns Exec. Dir. Retail energy services Edison Electric Institute, Kaj Den Daas EVP Phillips lighting, John Conover Trane America, and Jeff Harris, VP ASE.
Diane Munns speaks first. Talk about the creation of energy efficiency department part of Edison Foundation. Move on to introduce the other panelists.
Kaj Den Daas next. Talks about sustainability and energy savings his company is doing. Sustainability is the road to serve all markerts: planet, profit and people. They have a program of eco-innovation. 1) What they've done for the whole company spend to $1 B Euros the next 5 years. 2) Set target is 30% of total revenues come from green products by 2012. 3) Increase its energy efficiency to 25% by 2012. Lighting is among the most efficient way to reduce CO2. The beauty about it is you can start today. Ligheting accounts for 19% of electricity use with potential savings up to 40%. The potential energy savings through innovative solutions outdoor, indoor and home lighting - is there. The ability to dim the light is the one thing that their industry should focus on. Said that the company invests some $150M in technology.
John Conover talks. He talks about buildings. Why? This is the percentage that we concentrate the overall issue. This is going to become a big challenge in non-residential construction market in the US. The amount of technology that consume electricity is growing in that footprint. 90% of energy in light bulb goes up as heat. So 90% of energy is wasted. Rate of construction is growing. Now and 2015 - 15M new buildings coming online. Three times the entire construction in the US will go to building boom in China. Only represent 10% construction in US. We need to focus codes and standards. Buildings the largest consumer of energy. Cooling and heating. City of NY legislation of carbon emission finds out that 79% in NY contributes by buildings. The biggest growth in the world will be in a country (China) that have less standard. Talks about states addressing the issue of energy efficiency. LEED certification program adds a lot to the efficiency. Use energy pre-heat in AC in the summer time take heat from one process to another. District cooling and system is a system building utilities around cooling and heating for cost effectiveness. Success stories of those use geothermal. Morgan Stanley uses thermal storage. California uses heat on the ground (geothermal) for district heating. Fort Knox also uses geothermal that saves them a lot of money. Fund this project upfront pay with the energy savings bills. Cut emissions by 1/3.
Jeff Harris from ASE next. Overview of net-zero energy buildings and vision to achieve net-zero. Net-Zero Energy building definition (section 421 and 422) from provision on EISA [Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007] - is building that is designed, construction and operated to greatly reduce energy use and meet remaining needs from renewables, be carbon neutral and economically viable. Best practices all buildings rebuilt to Code combined with PV (photovoltaics.) Authorization in EISA net-zero commercial building goals by 2030 new construction be net-zero and entire commercials by 2050. A government/ industry consortium. Coordinate national and local actions. Is ZEB affordable? -Construction bid range: 5-15%. -Waste in industry: 10-30%. -Cost of green: 0-5%. -Cost of ZEB: 0-20%. Energy per s.f. in federal buildings declined 30% over the past 25 years. This can be replicated in public sector. Fed goals new buildings no fossil fuel by 2030. Saves 3% a year and purchasing Energy Star appliances.
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